Hey you. Yeah, you. The one reading this. I want you to come over Saturday night. I'll personally make you a martini, or manhatan, or whatever you fancy. We're having a little shindig and would love to meet you in person. There are details on upcoming.org, but basically, just stop by on Saturday and relax at our place with some good food, booze and conversation. Totally casual, stay for a minute, stay for an hour - whatever works. 
Blimpy burger Photo by gelle_dk.
Sam suggested we go out to lunch, as Keith and Jack were at the pictures.
We tried Chicago Dog House. Closed. I was going to take him to the Fleetwood, but he suggested we stop at Blimpy's instead.
We waited through the line and when it was our turn to order (we know the drill: fry items first, then burger+grill+bun - no cheese til the end!) the cook (I think of her as a chef) knew Sam by name! I was floored. Pleased, and floored. And then he asked for a tomato on his burger. ...
photo by charlie_mezak
Commencement
Parting the Wild Horses Mane
White Crane Spreads its Wings
Brush Knee Twist Step
Play the Lute
Repulse the Monkey
Grasp the Bird's Tail - Left
Grasp the Bird's Tail - Right
Single Whip
Wave Hands like Clouds
Single Whip
High Pat on Horse
Kick with Right Heel
Box the Tiger's Ears
Turn and Kick with Left Heel
Snake Creeps Down - Left
Snake Creeps Down - Right
Fair Maiden Works the Shuttles
Needle at Sea Bottom
Fan through Back
Turn, Deflect Downward, Parry, Punch
Uproot
Cross Hands
Closing Form
7:00 am. Every weekday for the last three weeks. I've been taking a tai chi class - we're almost done with the form (the last few on the above list are the only ones left). I ...
So I went to LA, on a lark, really. The boys I blog with out there snagged an invite to a party at Arianna Huffington's house. How could I miss that?
The party was great, very swanky and geek-star studded. I met some LA bloggers and got to meet Arianna herself, too. She is lovely and utterly elegant. Turns out it was a launch party for a joint venture between Gawker Media and Yahoo. I spent most of the evening wandering around the enormous but not ostentatious manse like the (relatively speaking) star-struck hayseed I am, drinking Arianna's vodka and marvelling at the artwork on her walls. (Jasper Johns! example)
The ...
Handholder
You go out of your way to build bridges with people of different views and beliefs and have quite a few religious friends. You believe in the essential goodness of people , which means you're always looking for common ground even if that entails compromises. You would defend Salman Rushdie's right to criticise Islam but you're sorry he attacked it so viciously, just as you feel uncomfortable with some of the more outspoken and unkind views of religion in the pages of this magazine.
You prefer the inclusive approach of writers like Zadie Smith or the radical Christian values of Edward Said. Don't fall into the same trap as super-naive Lib Dem MP Jenny Tonge who ...
So I'm off to LA. Wednesday. I'm putting stuff on the player to take along. Here's one set (to fit on the 64MB card), so far, need to add a couple more tracks, but it's shaping up so nicely I thought I'd share.
Our Prayer/Gee, Brian Wilson
Art Snob Solutions, Of Montreal
Seems So, Apples In Stereo
Another Love Song, Finniston
Walk Right Back, Everly Brothers
Come Softly To Me, The Fleetwoods
Spring Is Here, The Four Freshmen
Hide & Seek, Imogen Heap
Peace Of Mind, Finniston
Our Time Has Passed, Pernice Brothers
Don't Hide, Teenage Fanclub
I Only Have Eyes for You, The Flamingos
In My Room, Beach Boys 
All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey.
I'd be safe and warm, if I was in LA.
If I didn't tell him, I could leave today. 
I voted today - I think it may have been the first time I've written in a candidate. There were 4 people at my polling place - plus the 4 election officials - while I was there.
So if you haven't gotten your butt over to the polling place, do it now. And consider writing in LaDale C. Winling while you're at it. Also, check out the New West Side Association's blog. And Urban Oasis, too. Fellow 5th Warders! Please give a look over here at Dale's platform. He is a write-in candidate in the 5th Ward: LaDale C. Winling is what you need to remember.
His own words (and ones I agree with!):
I've got the berries to say "We need more density and we need more development. It's probably going to come whether we like it or not, so here's my plan to accommodate it in the way that we won't regret it."
It's not a bad deal, not a bad deal at all. We stopped by Busch's last night to pick up a few things that we can't get at Trader Joe's. Keith was immediately drawn to the table with free samples: pot roast was on offer. Here's Busch's deal: buy a pot roast and get potatoes, carrots, onions, dinner rolls, cottage cheese (?) and a pie for free. It's a full meal for 4 for $15. The cottage cheese baffled me a bit, but it went into our cart anyway.
So the roast has been in the pot all afternoon. The carrots just went in, and the potatoes will follow soon. It smells ...
This is Laura Fisher's blog, coming to you from Ann Arbor, Michigan. You might know me as mitten and you can find me in many online communities under that name. Comments are welcome here, or you can write to me more privately via the contact form.
Forget the old cartoon, forget any hint of serious intent and go watch this movie for the sheer technicolor delight of it. It's beautiful, it's fast, it's silly (in the good way), it's exciting and inspired. Go Speed go!
notes that Plum Market has various Pepperwood wines on sale, 2 bottles for $10. Good stock-up price, if you like them. 10 mins ago
